crock-pot black bean chili with cilantro and lime

we were having friends over last night, so i decided i wanted to cook.  now, i'm not a cook all the time kind of girl, so i wanted something easy.  i turned to my trusty crock-pot.  i found this recipie, and thought "i LOVE cilantro and lime!"  so, i found my recipie.  i did change up a few small things though...

crock-pot black bean chili with cilantro and lime

2 onions, chopped
extra virgin olive oil, for browning onions and meat
1 lb ground beef (i used ground sirloin)
1 quart beef stock
3 cans (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (15 oz) refried beans (i used a mexican style)
2 cans (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
1 packet chili seasoning (i got mine from the hispanic aisle of my grocery store)
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (i bought 4 limes, but only needed 3)
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

heat some olive oil in a large skillet and sautee the onions until they are soft and transluscent.  add them to your pre-heated (on low) crock-pot.  if needed, add more olive oil to the skillet and begin to brown the meat.  once browned, add to the onions in the crock-pot.

while cooking the onions and meat, put the beef stock in a pot and simmer to reduce to 2 cups.  that will be half of the original pint.  put beans into a colander and rinse until no foam appears.

once the beef stock has reduced, whisk in the refried beans until thoroughly mixed.  add stock/refried bean mixture, rinsed black beans, diced tomatoes, and chili seasoning to the crock-pot. 

cook 6-8 hours on low.  about 15 minutes before serving, add in chopped cilantro and lime juice.

mine served 4, with 3 of us having seconds, with some left over to go in the fridge.  i topped mine with shredded mild cheddar cheese, sour cream, and tortilla strips.

NOTE:  cooking time can depend on your particular crock-pot.  i was only able to cook mine for about 5-6 hours because i got a late start.  once i put the crock-pot on warm and let it sit for a little while, it thickened up quite a bit, and when i just warmed up a bowl, it was thicker as well.  moral of the story, make sure to cook it the full amount of time. 

ANOTHER NOTE:  this was a chili with beef, but i think the recipie can be modified to make a chicken tortilla type soup, simply by substituting the beef/beef stock for shredded chicken and chicken stock.  i will be trying it this way next time.